Ayelet Baron
AYELET BARON is the visionary author behind Our Journey to Corporate Sanity: Transformational Stories from the Frontiers of 21st Century. Prior to being a speaker, coach, workshop facilitator, and committed to making a transformational impact on business, Baron was an Innovator-in-Residence in Roche/Genentech's Strategic Innovation Product Development organization, and a Chief Strategy Officer for Cisco Canada.
3 words to describe Nature?
Humans. Grounding. Reality. We are nature; nature is grounding; nature ground us in reality.
3 things Nature taught you?
To appreciate beauty as is. To recognize the life force in animals, plants and humans. To remember to follow nature in business - a time to plant, a time to water, a time to nurture and a time to harvest.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Diving in Fiji - the most spectacular underwater park; white sands of Turks and Caicos, and the deep blue Mediterranean Sea.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
At peace. The whole experience of the beauty and infinity of the ocean from looking to listening to breathing it in is exhilarating.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
In awe imagining what the trees have witnessed while we simply pass by in a flash. The conversations they must be having must be incredible as they show us what a connected network truly is.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
The fire within each of us that can tip over at any moment and that emotions are natural if we allow them to be expressed
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
The cycle of life and death, with the depth of colors and opportunities
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
The power of nature to make a statement and bring clarity
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Alive and attune with reality
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean first but I love them all ... what could be better than an ocean with a mountain, forest and/or desert? I have had the pleasure of experiencing many breathtaking combinations
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I will always remember the first time I walked through an orange orchard in Israel when I was 6 years old and got to pick oranges from the tree. That smell of the orange buds has stayed with me forever. Then, my grandfather retired and bought an almond orchard and as a kid, I spent hours peeling the two cases of almonds and organizing them in neat piles. It helped me appreciate the source of our nutrients and also sparked a love of creation with cooking naturally. I always need to know where the food we consume comes from in nature.
Connor Beaton
CONNOR BEATON is the founder of ManTalks, an international organization focused on mens health, wellness, success and fulfillment. Connor is an international speaker, podcast host, Business Coach and lifestyle entrepreneur. Before founding ManTalks, Connor worked with Apple leading high performance sales and operations teams. Since founding ManTalks, Connor has spoken on stage at TEDx, taken ManTalks to over a dozen cities internationally and has been featured on platforms like HeForShe, The Good Men Project, UN Women, CBC, CNN, the National Post and more.
3 words to describe Nature?
Breathtaking, God, understanding.
3 things Nature taught you?
Resiliency, humility and the ability to be in the present.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The cliffs and beaches on the Amalfi coast in Italy, Camping at lake Garibaldi in BC & Secret Beach in Kauai, Hawaii
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Connected to myself, calm and at peace.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Strength and comfort simultaneously.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Powerful and in awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Humbled by life existence.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Somehow always surprised and reminded of how small we are.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Connected to everything
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest & ocean. I can’t choose just one. My favourite place to be is facing the forest with the ocean sounds at my back.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Erick Tseng
ERICK TSENG is a Product Director at Facebook where he oversees product management for the company’s global advertising growth and solutions. Erick joined Facebook in May 2010 as the Head of Mobile Products.
3 words to describe Nature?
Magical, beautiful, essential
3 things Nature taught you?
To take risks, how much beauty there is in the world, how fragile our existence is on this earth
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Yosemite, Galapagos, Himalayas
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Fresh
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Empowered
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cold
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Traveling to a beach near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and going tide-pooling amongst the rocks. I loved looking for little fish, crabs, and mussels tucked away in the shallow waters. I'd also collect fresh seaweed, and my mother would clean it up, and cook seaweed pork soup that night. Delicious!
Chip Conley
Bestselling author, hospitality entrepreneur, disruptive business rebel, and social change agent, Chip Conley is a leader at the forefront of the sharing economy. At age 26, the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality took an inner city motel and turned it into the 2nd largest boutique hotel brand in the world. Inspired by psychologists Maslow and Frankl, Chip’s books, PEAK and the New York Times bestseller EMOTIONAL EQUATIONS, share his own theories on transformation and meaning in business and life. Chip was CEO of his innovative company for 24 years. In 2013 he accepted an invitation from the founders of Airbnb to help transform a promising home sharing start-up into what is today the world’s largest hospitality brand. As Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy, Chip taught his award-winning methods to hundreds of thousands of Airbnb hosts in nearly 200 countries, and created the Airbnb Open that brings thousands together in a global festival of belonging (he transitioned to a part-time role as Strategic Advisor for Hospitality and Leadership in January 2017). Chip founded Fest300 in 2013 to share his passion for travel and the world’s best festivals (the company merged with Everfest in 2016 where he is part-time Chief Strategy Officer).
Chip has received hospitality’s highest honor, the Pioneer Award, joining industry icons Marriott, Kimpton and Wynn. He is the founder of the Celebrity Pool Toss, which has raised millions for the Tenderloin neighborhood where he opened his first hotel, and San Francisco’s Hotel Hero Awards that shine a light on the unsung heroes serving hotel guests every day. Chip holds a BA and MBA from Stanford University, and an honorary doctorate in psychology from Saybrook University. He serves on the boards of the Burning Man Project and the Esalen Institute.
3 words to describe Nature?
Spiritual. Cleansing. Awe-provoking
3 things Nature taught you?
Animism: everything has spirit
There are forces way bigger than me
Discover the pace of nature
3 most treasured Nature spots?
A deserted beach in Baja
The Ventana wilderness in Big Sur
A quiet rice paddy field in Baja
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
The vastness: there's so much above and below the surface to explore, I wish I had many lifetimes to do this
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Trees breathing with me and the phenomenally complex and beautiful eco-system
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Metaphor for powerful human emotions
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
The end is also the beginning
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
There is nowhere to hide
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
I'm reminded of the stunning scene in American Beauty when the two teenagers are staring at the video of the plastic bag in the wind...wind creates life
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I can't say I'm only one of these but if I had to choose one, it would be Ocean.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I remember staring at a live starfish on the beach I'd found and realized how much life was under the sea.